Responding to the Gospel

“Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.” Matthew 22:5-6

This passage comes from the Parable of the Wedding Feast. It reveals two unfortunate responses to the Gospel. First, there are those who ignore the invitation. Second, there are those who respond to the proclamation of the Gospel with hostility.

If you commit yourself to the proclamation of the Gospel, and have dedicated your whole soul to this mission, you will most likely encounter both of these reactions. The King is an image of God, and we are called to be His messengers. We are sent by the Father to go and gather others into the wedding feast. This is a glorious mission in that we are privileged to invite people to enter into eternal joy and happiness! But rather than being filled with great excitement at this invitation, many we encounter will be indifferent and go about their day uninterested in what we share with them. Others, especially when it comes to various moral teachings of the Gospel, will react with hostility.

The rejection of the Gospel, be it indifferentism or a more hostile rejection, is an act of incredible irrationality. The truth is that the message of the Gospel, which is ultimately an invitation to share in the Wedding Feast of God, is an invitation to receive the fullness of life. It’s an invitation to share in the very life of God. What a gift! Yet there are those who fail to accept this gift from God because it is a total abandonment to the mind and will of God in every way. It requires humility and honesty, conversion and selfless living.

Reflect, today, upon two things. First, reflect upon your own reaction to the Gospel. Do you react to all that God speaks to you with complete openness and zeal? Second, reflect upon the ways that you are called by God to bring His message to the world. Commit yourself to doing so with great zeal, regardless of the reaction of others. If you fulfill these two responsibilities, you and many others will be blessed to share in the Wedding Feast of the Great King.

Lord, I give to You my whole life. May I always be open to You in every way, seeking to receive every word sent forth from Your merciful heart. May I also seek to be used by You so as to bring the invitation of Your mercy to a world in need. Jesus, I trust in You.